Chris Williams is adding a new vantage point to his longtime Museum District presence—12 stories up.
The James Beard Award finalist and his Lucille’s Hospitality Group will open The Branch on Thursday, October 1, inside Forme, a new luxury hotel, residential and lifestyle development in Houston’s Museum District at 5501 La Branch St. The sprawling 20,000-square-foot restaurant, bar and event space sits on the building’s 12th floor, pairing all-day dining with a rooftop patio, pool and sweeping views of Downtown Houston.
For Williams, whose acclaimed Southern restaurant Lucille’s sits just across the street, the project represents a different kind of dining experience while keeping the hospitality group firmly rooted in a neighborhood Williams has called home for years.
“We’re excited to partner with The Forme,” Williams said in a statement. “It’s not only an opportunity to utilize our culinary toolkit through room service and an entirely different dining experience across the street from Lucille’s, but it’s also another opportunity to create equity in one of the country’s most dynamic culinary cities.”
While the rooftop setting is likely to grab plenty of attention, The Branch is positioning itself as more than a place for cocktails by the pool. Williams has built the food around seasonal ingredients, seafood, lighter proteins and globally influenced flavors, with menus that shift considerably between breakfast and the rest of the day.
Breakfast is served seven days a week, with a $20 Harvest Table stocked with baked goods, fruit, charcuterie and cheeses, plus a yogurt and honey bar. Diners who want something more substantial can order à la carte dishes including avocado and tuna conserva toast, the Chorizo Press and the Branch Benny, which swaps the traditional English muffin for green masa and tops it with lump crab cake, poached egg and chipotle hollandaise.
Coffee and espresso are joined by fresh-pressed juices and smoothies, along with morning cocktails and wellness-minded drinks such as a Turmeric Gold Latte and Morning Tonic.
Later in the day, things take a decidedly more coastal turn.
Beginning at 11 a.m. Thursday through Sunday, The Branch will serve a Cabo-inspired menu built around oysters, seasonal crudo and a rotating cheese selection developed with Houston-based A Cheese Affair. The tuna tostada carries over from breakfast, layering yellowfin tuna, black bean caviar, crushed avocado and mole chile crunch on an oven-baked tostada. Paninis and more familiar hotel staples round out the menu.
The bar follows the same lighter approach. Beverage director Erica Mota developed a lineup emphasizing low-ABV cocktails, with drinks designed to be easily adapted into spirit-free versions.
The opening also gives Lucille’s Hospitality Group a considerably larger footprint in the Museum District. At approximately 20,000 square feet, The Branch encompasses indoor dining and lounge areas as well as the rooftop patio and pool deck, with the skyline and Museum District serving as the backdrop. The restaurant will be open to the public, not just Forme hotel guests and residents.
“The space itself is truly special, with some of the best views in Houston and a setting unlike anything else in the city,” Williams said. “We’re excited to create an experience that complements the neighborhood that has been our home for the past 17 years.”
Lucille’s Hospitality Group plans to use The Branch for private events, full buyouts and monthly community programming. Williams and his team will additionally handle room service at Forme, further expanding Lucille’s Hospitality Group’s role within the development.
For now, The Branch is starting with a somewhat limited schedule as the team ramps up operations. Breakfast runs from 7 to 10:30 a.m. Monday through Friday and 9 to 11:30 a.m. on weekends. The all-day menu is available from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday through Sunday, with happy hour from 4 to 6 p.m. those same days. Hours are expected to evolve in the weeks following the opening.
Reservations become available through OpenTable when The Branch officially opens Thursday, October 1.
For Williams, the debut puts a new restaurant almost within sight of the one that helped establish his Houston career—but with a pool, raw bar and a 12th-floor view, The Branch is charting a course of its own.
The Branch, 5501 La Branch St., Houston, branchhtx.com
